Bad Lands

Just finished a brilliant book and had to blog a wee review:

A long time fan of the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks (they've seen me right on many a beaten (and unbeaten) track, I was really excited to hear it's c0-founder Tony Wheeler's new book was out. Bad Lands charts his travels through many of the countries he originally visited when LP was in it's infancy in the 70s. Some countries were new to him, but others were re-visits and had dramatically changed politically, environmentally and socially. The main theme is to visit countries in the so called 'Axis of Evil' and report what mainstream media doesn't. 

This is a fascinating and very well written book - Not surprisingly the picture Tony paints is quite different to the preconceptions the general public might have, though some are obviously confirmed and often amplified. What is so refreshing is his experiences with Joe public in these countries and their warmth, humour, generosity and happiness to be ambassadors for their countries, despite the regimes they live or have lived under. The changing fortunes of countries due to the discovery of oil, collapse of communism, war or fall of a dictator have much impact on it's people and the restraints it's governments put on them. For example in Cuba there is relative freedom for tourists (assuming you're not American or a Guantanamo inmate) to search out culture and a real view of the country, whereas in North Korea it is impossible to even get in the country without having a designated 'guide' the show you what they want you to see and brush everything else under the carpet.

He charts a kind of cheesy Evil Meter in the book, scoring countries on human rights, mad leaders, the treatment of it's people etc. which sounds in slightly poor taste, but brings up some surprising results. The most alarming being that the country that has supported terrorism the most is actually the US. Just look at their support for various regimes in Central America and the Middle East to aid their manifestos. I guess terrorism emotes a very different response depending which way it is aimed i.e. one man's terrorist is an other's freedom fighter. Not giving opinions here, but food for thought.

Anyway, if you love travel books as I do and are fascinated by other cultures, people and their politics, it's a fine read. 9/10